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Hall of Fame coach Phil Fulmer has been hired to rejuvenate Tennessee football – East Tennessee State football, to be exact.

Fulmer, who went 152-52 at Tennessee from 1992-2008, winning the national championship in 1998, was named as a consultant and special assistant to athletic director Richard Sander as ETSU rebuilds the football program it disbanded for financial reasons in 2003.

"When you have a chance to use the knowledge and skill of a Hall of Fame coach who has won a national championship and is revered as one of the truly great coaches in college football, you have to jump on that opportunity," Sander said during a press conference on Tuesday. "Phil Fulmer will make a huge contribution to the success of ETSU football."

"I never say never on anything, (but) it's not likely," Fulmer hedged Tuesday, via The Associated Press. "Nobody expects that, that I've talked to within the administration. I was really clear and frank, and they were grateful for that. That wasn't the place in life that I wanted to be. It's a great opportunity for somebody to come in and make their own legacy."

ETSU had to ask, however. How often does a university with a new football program have the opportunity to build from the bottom up with a Hall of Fame coach?

"When they approached me about being the coach, it was very flattering, but I'm just at a different stage in life where I'm enjoying my children and my grandchildren and I'm enjoying the business that I'm in with some partners I'm dedicated to as well," Fulmer said.

The university plans to field a team in the fall of 2015. Last week, the Tennessee Board of Regents approved a $125 student fee increase to help fund the program. ETSU's former program went 342-403-26 from 1920-2003, closing its doors after a 5-7 finish in 2003.